I Desire Mercy

In Jesus' day most people hated tax collectors. They were usually dishonest and charged more money than they should have.

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking he saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.

Later, as Jesus was eating a meal at Matthew's house, many tax collector's and sinners came also and were eating with Jesus and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, "Why is your teacher eating with tax collector's and sinners?"

But when Jesus heard about this he said, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Pharisees thought that because they kept the letter of the law of God they were righteous. But they did not take to heart all the other teachings in the Old Testament about mercy, forgiveness and helping the poor. They judged harshly the people who did not keep the law as they did. They shunned these people and thought Jesus should too.


Even in the Old Testament God told Samuel, "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

"Let the wicked return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
And to our God,
For he will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:7